Rada bans prescribing medicines under the influence of financial incentives

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the second reading the draft Law "On Amendments to the Fundamentals of Ukrainian Legislation on Healthcare to Improve Restrictions for Medical, Pharmaceutical and Rehabilitation Specialists in the Course of Their Professional Activities".

The draft law was developed by the Ministry of Health to implement the State Anti-Corruption Program for 2023-2025. The document prohibits doctors, pharmacists, and rehabilitation specialists from prescribing medicines, medical devices, or rehabilitation aids under the influence of direct or indirect financial incentives, namely

• receipt of souvenir and branded products;
• bonuses, bonuses, gifts;
• return of part of the funds for the intended purpose;
• participation in competitions, lotteries, events from pharmaceutical representatives in exchange for the appointment.

"Today's decision of the Parliament is an important step towards improving the quality of treatment and the level of trust in the medical system in general. Transparency, absence of financial incentives and personal gain are the key to the objectivity of recommendations provided by doctors, pharmacists and rehabilitation specialists. Here's a simple example: our Ministry is actively developing the healthcare rehabilitation system; these services are provided free of charge under the medical guarantees program, and the cost of services reimbursed by the state to medical institutions is absolutely market-based. At the same time, a recent study by the USAID Health Care Reform Support Project shows that 17% of informal payments made by patients in hospitals were for a conditionally better rehabilitation service than the one provided by the state. This is precisely the consequence of unfair promotion based solely on someone's financial interest, which is stopped by the adoption of this draft law," said Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.

The ban also includes prescribing medicines on forms that contain advertising information or facilitate the control of the frequency of prescription. The restrictions will also apply to medical devices and rehabilitation aids.

When dispensing medicines, pharmacists will be obliged to provide reliable information about available analogs that may be equivalent in effect, composition or efficacy at the request of customers. In addition, it will be prohibited to conceal information about medicines with a similar active ingredient at a lower price for personal gain.